SARAO Graduate-in-Training presents research at the UNIVEN-UL Symposium Technical Programme

Felicia Maake, a Graduate-In-Training in the Compute Infrastructure Cybersecurity team, was invited by the University of Limpopo, to present her abstract at the Univen-UL Symposium Technical Programme on 23 and 24 June 2025, at the University of Venda (UNIVEN).

The Univen-UL Symposium was co-hosted by the University of Limpopo (UL) and the University of Venda (UNIVEN). The Symposium aims to promote Mathematical and computational Sciences in the province through the development of high-quality research and the strengthening of scientific collaboration between the two provincial institutions.

Maake presented an abstract titled Improving robustness and reliability of generative AI in cybersecurity, based on her research which focuses on enhancing the security and trustworthiness of generative AI models within the field of cybersecurity. “As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, existing defense mechanisms are struggling to keep pace. To address this challenge, my study proposes a hybrid approach that combines Variational Autoencoders, Generative Adversarial Networks, and Long Short-Term Memory networks. The goal is to develop more adaptive and resilient AI-driven defense systems capable of detecting and responding to emerging threats in real time,” says Maake.

Currently she is pursuing an MSc degree in Computer Science at the University of Limpopo, with a focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Maake joined SARAO on 1 March 2025 and her responsibilities include supporting the implementation and maintenance of network security measures, assisting with incident response, and contributing to ongoing cybersecurity research and development projects.

Well done!

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